


Love At First Sight

by MJayne2004



Series: Adopting The Twins [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23568079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MJayne2004/pseuds/MJayne2004
Summary: While attending another gala, Natasha and Steve meet two small children who open their eyes to the possibility of parenthood, despite their previous beliefs on the subject. After taking care of them and introducing the twins to the superhero group, Natasha and Steve find themselves seriously considering fostering the twins, despite the short amount of time they've known them.
Relationships: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Pepper Potts & Natasha Romanov, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Series: Adopting The Twins [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1696393
Comments: 13
Kudos: 73





	Love At First Sight

**Author's Note:**

> This is set between the Winter Soldier movie and Age of Ultron, with minor changes happening. For example;  
> -Wanda and Pietro are five years old in this. (Don't worry, the events of Age of Ultron will come up in other stories involving this series)  
> -Natasha and Steve are dating happily.  
> -There is barely any drama between the members of the Avengers (that will also be later with changes occurring as the story progresses)

"I would  _ kill _ Tony for forcing us to go to another function if he wasn't such a considerate friend" Natasha grumbled dejectedly, her eyes, filled with indifference, carelessly browsing the flashing mob of nosey cameramen and invasive reporters as she and Steve followed the group of superheroes along the red carpet. Steve chuckled quietly, leaning forward to press a gentle and reassuring kiss against the spies blushing cheek as they once again stopped to take photos. "It's not too late to turn back" She smirked mischievously, benevolently cupping the heroes check with a sparkling smile, ignorant to the violent flash of cameras before them. "We could fake an illness. Stay at the tower" 

"Hideaway from the world" Steve hummed appreciatively, gently grasping the heroes wrists within his own hands. "Sounds like a paradise" 

"Race you back to the car?" Natasha joked, playfully nuzzling the super-soldiers nose with her own. Steve laughed quietly, pressing a gentle kiss against Natasha's reddened lips before stepping back. 

"Lovebirds" Clint called from further up the carpet, his lips widened into a roguish smile as he carelessly stuffed his hands into the pocket of his suit. "Catch up. Can't have a gala without our Widow and Captain" The crowd of reporters laughed at the archer's words as Clint rushed to catch up to the group, leaving the couple to blush silently. 

"That gets rid of our plan" Steve smiled, gently guiding the spy further up the carpet and closer to the team. Leaning into the captain's touch, Natasha smiled breathlessly as his fingers gently rested on the naked skin of her back, exposed due to the low back of her form-fitting dress. Encased in beautiful lace, the black dress hugged the spies curves as she walked, the deep neckline and thin straps displaying her pale skin to the cameras that flickered before her. 

"It'll be fine" Steve reassured her as they walked, "Have I mentioned how beautiful you look?" He questioned, glancing at her dress and perfect makeup. Red lips curled into a soft smile as Natasha blushed softly at the compliment, her curly red hair sitting perfectly in a messy bun at the back of her head. 

"Once or twice" Natasha grinned happily, resting against Steve's hold as he hummed knowingly. "Wouldn't hurt to say it again" She shrugged knowingly, ignorant to the intense wave of sparkling lights from the reporters as they once again stopped near the end of the carpet, the beginnings of the gala only steps away. 

Scarcely regarding how the gentle murmur of voices quieted around them, the couple continued to talk in whispered voices, safe in the small bubble of happiness which had wrapped itself around the two heroes. It was uncommon that the couple retreated so deeply into their happiness that their surroundings melted away into nothingness, content in the knowledge that their friends would protect them as they smiled widely at one another. 

A miniature jolt from the back of her dress seemed to pull Natasha out of her man-made heaven, ceasing all sound around the couple as Steve simultaneously glanced at his girlfriend in confusion. Following his curiosity, Natasha turned, the back of her dress wrapping around her legs, as she stared at the sea of people whose eyes, filled with wonder and concern, were fixated on the bottom of her dress. Lips parted in shock, Natasha blindly grabbed for Steve's hand as she gazed down at the two small children who stood in front of her, hands clasped tightly within one another as one of the children -the small girl of the pair, no older than five and identical to her apparent twin brother- clutched the lace trail of her dress.

The young girl stood in the centre of the carpet, dirt covering her sharp jawline and reddened full cheeks, as she confidently held the Black Widows dress. With her long rust-coloured hair placed flawlessly within a ponytail and her scarlet coloured jacket hanging perfectly on her shoulders, the young girl stood boldly in front of the couple, oblivious to Steve as she stared pointedly at Natasha with wide brown eyes whirling with scarlet. The young boy stood behind her, clutching the girls hand tightly as he glared harshly at the reporters surrounding them, ignoring Natasha's questioning gaze as he silently shielded his sister. Despite their apparent relation, the young boy's silver hair glistened in the retreating sunlight, covering his electric blue eyes and the pale skin of his forehead. Dressed in a light blue jacket and trousers, Natasha noticed the fragile layers of dirt and light scratches which rested against the boy's knees and ankles, identical to the scratches and dirt which covered the girl's wrists and legs. 

Before Natasha could move to open her mouth, two officers rushed up the carpet, equal expressions of horror and concern playing on their features as they stood behind the two children breathlessly. The young boy glared at them menacingly, moving closer to his sister as gently squeezed his hand. Natasha smiled kindly at the sight before turning to the officers, watching with amusement as apologies quickly spilt from their lips. "We're so sorry, Miss Romanoff and Mr Rogers" One of the officers apologised, moving closer to the twins. "We don't know how they got through security. We'll remove them immediately" 

Natasha huffed impatiently, eyes wide with caution as she wordlessly knelt on the carpet, ignorant to the soft waves of fabric that circled her on the floor as she smiled warmly at the two children as the young girl once again clutched the fabric of her flowing dress. Steve smiled charmingly at his girlfriend, turning to face the two officers who stood unmoving behind the two children. "We can handle it from here" Steve reassured the officers. 

"We...um, we have our orders, sir" The other officer stuttered humorously. "No one is allowed on the carpet but the guests" He explained. 

"They are children" Natasha observed, glaring pointedly at the two officers before her. "Small, innocent children. I doubt they would be too much problem" 

"Of course, Miss Romanoff" The officer once again argued, "But we still have our orders-" 

"Your orders will have to wait" She interrupted, playfully rolling her eyes at the two children before her. "Unless these two children wish to hug me to death-" The young girl smiled softly, "-Then I doubt they'll be much of a problem. Go back to your posts, officers" Nodding numbly, the two officers retreated to the end of the carpet, expressions of worry and fear written in their eyes as they worried about the implications of their actions. Natasha shook her head slowly, an amused smile resting on her lips. 

"Now that is over" Steve grinned, clapping his hands together excitably as he knelt to rest beside his girlfriend, ignorant of the surrounding reporters. "What's wrong?" 

"We need Miss Widow" The young girl explained, her voice thick with confidence as she smiled softly at the couple before her. Natasha nodded silently at the young girl, ignorant to the flashes of photos as the girl let go of her dress. "We think you can help us" 

"I hope I can" She smiled reassuringly at the two, briefly glancing towards Steve with a small smile. "What's the problem?" 

"Our dad...he says you kill people for money" The girl hesitated, oblivious to Natasha's stricken expression as she stared at the ground nervously. Swallowing thickly, Natasha grasped Steve's hand within hers as she glanced questioningly at the two children before her. 

"I did" She admitted, "A long time ago. Luckily, the family I have now stop me from turning bad" Steve smiled happily at the spy, placing a sweet kiss on the back of her hand as Natasha leant against him. "Now, I help people in other ways" Nodding softly, as if he understood, the young boy stepped forward, digging his hand into his pocket and receiving a small number of rusted coins and crinkled bucks. Passing it quickly to the spy, Natasha raised an eyebrow as she glanced at the money in her palm. "What's this?" 

"We were hoping you could help us" The young boy explained. 

"Our dad hurts us" The girl continued, "He hurts us both and we hoped, you could get rid of him. So he can't hurt us" Natasha gasped silently, her heartbreaking at the information as she glanced quickly at Steve. "Can you?" 

"Steve" Natasha whispered brokenly, eyes pleading as she held Steve's hand tightly. 

"Son, keep your money" Steve ordered gently, passing the money in Natasha's hand back to the boy who hurriedly stuffed it back into his pocket. "If you need our help, you don't have to pay for it. That's not why we help people" The young girl smiled brightly, gently squeezing her brothers hand with a small sigh of relief. "What's your names?" Steve questioned. 

"I'm Wanda, sir. He's Pietro" The young girl -Wanda- smiled softly. 

"Well, Wanda and Pietro, we can certainly help you" Steve promised, "How about a small visit to somewhere safe? We can help you there and get some of our friends to deal with your father" A gentle autumn breeze swept across the carpet as Steve spoke, forcing the twins to shiver softly as they stood in front of the couple. 

"Steve-" 

"Here" Taking off his jacket, Steve handed the fabric towards the twins, smiling reassuringly at them as Wanda passed the fabric towards her brother and helped him slip his hand through the arms of the jacket. "You two are cold, huh?" The twins nodded, "Well we'll sort that out" 

"Thank you, sir" Wanda smiled at the hero. 

"No problem, kiddo" Steve grinned. 

"We'll get you somewhere safe" Natasha promised, gently grasping Steve's hand as they stood. "Steve, if you-" Abruptly, two miniature arms wrapped around Natasha's legs once she stood fully, smiling widely as Wanda squeezed her legs excitably. Beside her, Steve grinned happily as Pietro hugged him tightly, face blushing madly under the violent flashes of the reporters beside them. 

"Thank you" Pietro whispered as he pulled away, gently grabbing his sisters hand once more. 

"We didn't do anything. You two were really brave" Steve complimented them, glancing at the end of the carpet to the awaiting cars. The twins nodded enthusiastically, equal grins of happiness coating their features as Wanda reached up excitably and took hold of Natasha's hand. 

"We get to go in those" She exclaimed happily. 

"Of course" Natasha smiled, "Steve, can you tell the rest of the group that something came up?" Natasha asked her lover, "We'll be at the Tower" 

"Your leaving?" Pietro asked softly, staring up at the soldier before him. 

"Nat will look after you two. I'll be back in no time" Steve reassured him. 

"Oh...okay" He nodded slowly, moving to stand closer to his sister. 

"Actually, Steve" Natasha smiled, "Come with us. You can call Tony. Serves him right for dragging us to this gala" Steve grinned happily, pressing a gentle kiss onto Natasha's cheek as he held his hand out to Pietro. 

"I'm stayin', kiddo" Pietro grinned victoriously, moving to grab Steve's hand within his own as he stood beside his sister. "I'll text Tony when we get in the car" Natasha nodded happily, walking down the carpet with Wanda's hand clasped tightly within her own. 

Disregarding the boisterous calls of the reporters, Steve and Natasha briskly walked to the end of the carpet, sighing in satisfaction as a car appeared to speedily pick them up and take them back to the tower. Steve opened the door promptly, assisting Wanda and Natasha into the car first before allowing Pietro to enter and secure the door behind himself. The two heroes sat on one side of the car, smirking softly at the two children before them who beamed excitably as they glanced out of the tinted windows. Taking out his phone, Steve quickly texted Tony. 

_Steve Rogers:_

Hey, Nat and I are going back to the tower. Something came up. Tell Pepper we're sorry. 

_ Tony Stark:  _

The hell Rogers. What do you mean something came up? Avengers?

_ Steve Rogers: _

Two kids came onto the carpet asking for help. Their dad hurt them. Nat and I are taking them back to the tower to look after and hopefully find this jerk. 

_Tony Stark:_

I'll tell the others. We'll be there in no time, cap. 

_ Steve Roger: _

That's not necessary. Nat and I can handle it. 

_ Tony Stark: _

Too late. Already told Clint. Give us ten minutes. We'll be behind you. 

Sighing audibly, Steve switched off his phone and glanced at his girlfriend, noiselessly holding her hand in his as he placed a loving kiss onto the back of her hand. "What's wrong?" Natasha questioned quietly, raising her gaze towards the soldier. 

"Nothing's wrong" Steve reassured her, "I told Tony the news. He's telling the team so they can meet us at the tower" 

"Text him again and ask if he can pick up some stuff. Like warm pyjamas and nice clothes," Natasha suggested, watching as Steve followed her advice with a proud smile. "If he's going to use this as an excuse to leave the gala then he can at least be useful" The soldier chuckled softly at his girlfriend's words, returning his attention back to his phone as Natasha glanced back at the twins opposite them. 

"Miss?" Wanda questioned, noticing Natasha's gaze. "Where are we going?" 

"To the Avengers Tower. It's where Steve and I live with our friends" Nodding happily, Wanda removed her attention from the surroundings to turn to Natasha, giving the spy her full attention. "A couple of our friends will be there but they all want to help you two. You don't need to worry about anything" 

"Your friends?" Pietro inquired, "The Avengers?" 

"Yea, kiddo" Steve nodded, joining the conversation. "They want to make sure that you're okay" 

"Why?" Wanda asked sceptically. 

"Because we know what it's like to be hurt" Natasha reassured the child, "We want to make sure you don't get hurt again." 

"What will we do at the tower?" Wanda requested. 

"We were thinking; a bath first" Natasha explained, "Have a nice warm bath and then something to eat. Steve can order pizza for us all" Natasha offered, watching as the two children nodded happily. "After that, the other Avenger's may want to meet you if you would like. Only if you want to though. There's no rush" 

"We get to meet the Avengers" Pietro exclaimed happily to his sister. "Maybe Tony Stark can show us one of the suits" 

"Perhaps" Wanda smiled at her brother's excitement, clutching his hand tightly as Pietro continued to talk to Natasha and Steve, describing his favourite Avengers and growing love for the heroes as Wanda fall silent, smiling softly at her brother's enthusiasm. Wanda ignored the spies concerned glances in favour of listening to her brother, ignorant to the passing surroundings until the car stopped in front of the Avenger Tower, allowing the inhabitance to exit quickly and move into the elevator, neglecting the confused glances of the employes. 

\----

"Jarvis, lights on, please" Natasha greeted as she stepped onto the main floor of the buildings, grinning cheerfully at the excited gasp expelled from Pietro behind her. The twins entered the floor slowly, watching with fascination as the large lights gradually turned on from the centre of the ceiling, bathing the room in the light as the blinds covering the back wall, made entirely of glass and exposing the large city below the tower, retreated back into the ceiling. A large staircase stood to the side of the room, following the curve of the wall as it covered a small section of the widows. The floor seemed to be split into sections, each covered in wealth and comfort as large pieces of furniture and beautiful pieces of artwork sat scattered around the room. 

Directly to the left of the twins was the kitchen, decorated flawlessly with pastel grey walls and white marble which shined within the artificial light of the floor. Adorned with modern appliances and comfortable seats, collected around a marble island, the kitchen appeared to be loved and used frequently, housing used bowls and messy utensils within the sink and bowls of exotic fruit which sat in the corner of the counters. Opposite the kitchen sat a beautiful dining room, furnished with counters filled with framed photos of the group of heroes and a long table adjoined with ill-organised chairs. The rest of the floor contained the living room, accommodating an extensive tv and spacious sofa, paired with a pool table and an open bar. Above them, Natasha had explained to the twins, was the Avenger's floor, housing all of the rooms which were occupied by the group of heroes. 

Wanda and Pietro had never seen a room as big as the main living area of the Avenger's Tower. 

"Good Afternoon, Miss Romanoff, Mr Rogers" Jarvis greeted the couple, sounding almost kind as Wanda and Pietro followed the couple further onto the floor. "Were you not meant to be at a gala for Stark Industries this afternoon?" 

"Situations changed" Natasha smiled happily at the two twins, coming to stop before the living room. "The rest of the group will be back shortly" 

"I shall make the appropriate change to your schedule, Miss Romanoff" Jarvis assured the spy who smiled thankfully, sure that the A.I could sense her gratitude. "May I also suggest informing the children about my presence. They seem rather confused, Miss Romanoff."

"Of course, Jarvis. Thank you" Natasha smiled, "Don't know what we'd do without you" 

"Probably be late, Miss Romanoff" He replied. 

"True" She chuckled, turning her attention to the children. "That's Jarvis. He is an incredible artificial intelligence that helps run the building. The moment you access this floor, Jarvis is computed to help you with whatever you require. Just say his name and he'll be happy to help you any way he can" Wanda's eyes widened slowly with possibility, oblivious to the small chuckle which escaped Natasha as she watched the young girl gaze at the walls with wonder. 

"Now" Steve began, "If you go upstairs with Nat, then I can get some kind of food started" The twins nodded excitedly, clasping each other's hand within their own as they quickly made their way to the staircase. "You'll be fine with them, right?" 

"Yes," Natasha nodded confidently, "We'll be in your room. You're the only one with a double bath so..."

"Well, Tony knows how much you like to sleep over" Steve teased. 

"Yea" Natasha agreed, "Let's see how the day goes first, yea?" 

"Of course" Steve nodded, "I'll talk to the team when they arrive. I'll tell them everything we currently know and get Jarvis to do some scans of New York to try and find the kids location and background" 

"I'll distract them" Natasha suggested, pressing a final kiss against Steve's lips before pulling away and walking towards the twins, watching as the twins held their hands out expectantly. Following their suggestion, Natasha took one of their hands in her, leading them up the staircase silently as the twins looked around the new floor. 

Each hero had their own room among the floor, spacious and customised perfectly to each individual in the room. Each room contained a large window overlooking the small city of New York which rested below the tower. The rooms were planned perfectly, allowing each hero the comfort they needed to live happily within the tower; Natasha and Clint were located at the end of the hallway, taking refuge in the easy escape possible by the large window wrapped around the room, while Steve and Tony rested at the beginning of the floor and near the staircase, granting them easy entrance to the floor below them without disturbing the others on the floor, which lead to the rest fo the team being placed between them, happy in the knowledge that their teammates would protect them. 

Natasha silently led the twins to Steve's room, apologising for the dishevelled bed and cluttered desk which occupied the room, before proceeding to the connected bathroom. Entering the capacious room, Natasha busied herself with filling the two baths, stood in the centre of the room, with generous bubbles and relaxing perfumes before turning around and going into the main room, allowing the twins to undress and get into the bath. Taking the occasion, Natasha instantly unfastened her dress and set it smoothly on Steve's bed, seizing a pair of the soldier's joggers and loose t-shirts to quickly put on. Grasping some fleecy towels and a hairbrush, Natasha hurried back into the bathroom, fortunate to see Wanda and Pietro fully swamped within the giant bubbles and laughing gleefully. 

Sitting on a miniature stool between the two baths, Natasha busied herself with eliminating the multiple pins holding in her hair, grinning in triumph as her soft locks fall onto her back. Passing a washcloth to each child, Natasha smiled kindly as she brushed her own hair, happy to finally be in comfortable clothes. 

"Now" Natasha began hesitantly as she placed her hairbrush on the floor, grabbing a bottle of soap for Wanda and pressing a large quantity of the mixture into her hand, copying the action with Pietro who smiled thankfully. "You two seem to know a lot about me but I hardly know anything about you two" Natasha smiled kindly. "How about we get to know one another?" 

"What do you want to know?" Pietro asked, preoccupied with rubbing the soap into his arms. 

"The important things. Like, how old are you two?" 

"Five" Wanda answered. 

"I'm older" Pietro grinned victoriously. 

"By twelve minutes" Wanda groaned. 

"Okay, okay" Natasha laughed, "So you two would be in kindergarten?" 

"We don't go to school" Wanda shook her head, "Dad doesn't let us"

"Okay," Natasha nodded, "Um, you two are twins then?" 

"Yep," Wanda nodded proudly. 

"What about your mother? She must be very proud to have you two as her children" Natasha smiled.

"Our mother died when we were young" Pietro frowned, "We barely remember" 

"But we  _ were _ given a small photo of her" Wanda glanced at her brother, "We saw it a little bit. She was beautiful. She smiled a lot" 

"She looked like Wanda" Pietro smiled, "So we still have a little bit of her with us" 

"That's beautiful" Natasha nodded thoughtfully, "You two act so grown up. You could put some of my friends to shame" 

"Thank you" Wanda thanked the spy happily, "Our dad never really helped us so we had to learn to do everything by our selves" 

"That sounds stressful" Natasha sighed, "Did he help at all?" 

"Not really" Pietro shrugged, "I stole some of his money at the end of the day when he was asleep. We left and got some food from this great place down the street. They were really nice." 

"That's really smart of you" Natasha complimented the twins, "So you learnt to do everything?" 

"Kinda" Wanda nodded, "That's why we were hoping that you could help us. Dad never helps and he...well, he's not always nice" Noticing the change in tone, Natasha moved closer, nodding reassuringly at the young girl. "When we don't do what we're told he gets mad at us. He shouts and...and throws things. It isn't nice" 

"He hurts Wanda" Pietro explained, "He doesn't hurt me a lot but he hurts Wanda. She doesn't run from him like me" He muttered sadly.

"Why don't you run, darling?" Natasha questioned softly. 

"Momma didn't run" She shrugged, "She always fought when people were mean to her. I wanted to be like her" 

"Oh, honey" Natasha shook her head lightly, a frown playing on her lips as she reached forward and carefully moved a piece of Wanda's fallen hair behind her ear. "I'm sure you are so much like your mother" Wanda smiled happily, leaning into the spies hold as Natasha gently ran her finger over the girl's cheeks. "But your dad used to hurt your mother?" 

"No" Wanda shook her head softly, "Momma fought with words. People didn't like her very much when we came. When she died, we were given to dad"  _ Oh _ , Natasha thought,  _ they _ _ were adopted _ .  _ It made sense _ , she supposed. With the twins being adopted, it would mean that fewer people knew about their existence within their new family, allowing for the abuse. "We don't want to be with dad" Wanda's eyes filled with saddened tears threatening to form as she spoke. "We don't want him to hurt us" 

"Okay, Wanda, I need you to listen very carefully and tell me if I'm right, okay? I know it's hard but I need you to be brave one more time, okay?" Natasha asked slowly, waiting until she had the girls full attention before she continued.  _ I hope I'm wrong _ , she thought desperately. "Did your dad ever hit you or Pietro? Did he ever leave a mark?" 

"...Yeah," Wanda nodded hesitantly, "He said we couldn't tell anyone though" 

"Oh, мед" Natasha breathed heavily, "Do you have any bruises now? Either of you" She asked, turning to Pietro. 

"Not now" Pietro answered honestly, "They went away" 

"Okay," Natasha nodded thankfully, "Thank you both for telling me. You were both really brave" Leaning forward to gently wipe away her tears, Natasha smiled kindly to Wanda. "I promise that I will help. You have my word" The twins nodded, small smiles resting on their lips as Natasha stood. "Now, I'll leave you two to bathe. There are towels on the counter and if you need any help at all, I'll be in the next room over. Just call and I'll be there" The twins nodded happily as Natasha walked towards the door. 

"Do you think she'll help?" Pietro asked his sister when the bathroom door had closed completely, oblivious to Natasha leant against the wooden door on the other side.

"I think she's the Black Widow" Wanda shrugged, "She has to help. It's her job" 

"She seems nice" Pietro smiled happily, "And so does Steve" Natasha smiled softly at the young boy's words, happy that he felt safe with them. "They all seem nice" 

"They have to be, Pietro" Wanda sighed. 

"What's wrong with that?" He questioned, "You act like being nice is a crime. You like her. I can tell" 

"They aren't keeping us" Wanda explained dejectedly, nervously playing with the bubbles in front of her. "They'll find someone else to look after us and then we won't see them again" Wanda glanced at her brother, "It's great to be happy now but remember...we'll leave soon and they'll forget about us" 

"Maybe they'll visit us?" Pietro suggested. 

"Maybe, Pietro" Wanda smiled sadly, "Just don't get your hopes us" 

"Nat, you okay?" Swivelling her head to the side, Natasha breathed thankfully as Steve entered the room, walking quickly to her side and delicately pulling her into a reassuring hug as small tears began to line Natasha's eyes. "What's wrong?" Steve questioned, pressing gentle kisses onto the spy's shoulders as Natasha connected her arms around Steve's neck. 

_ They were kids _ . Natasha's mind filled with horrific memories of pain and loneliness, condensed tragically within her childhood as she cried against Steve's chest. She understood their pain -sadly, a lot of people she knew experienced the pain of unloving parents- and the Red Room's terrors still seemed to plague the spy. Her time within the Red Room had been measured by death and pain, by the presence and dispersal of multi-coloured bruises which had coated her skin during her training. They were kids -like she had been- and their young beginning had already become stained with the hatred and violence of another human, etching  _ his _ pain onto  _ their _ bodies as if they were plain canvas and not small children. 

She scarcely had someone to blame. For all she knew, their despicable father could have already left the city. He may have seen the Avengers with his children and ran for his life, his fear of facing repercussions blinding his actions.  _ It wouldn't save _ _ him _ . Natasha knew nothing would save him -The Avenger's could find anyone they wished to find, especially if they were a threat- but it would buy him some time. Natasha would help the twins as much as she was able. 

She didn't exactly know how she would help the twins; the very idea of caring for them had entered her mind after a fleeting moment of protectiveness and she had acted upon it. She didn't regret it -for she had no idea how she would say goodbye to those two children when the time arrived- but she didn't want to disappoint them. They were relying on her -on her family- and the very idea of letting them down hurt more than any wound she had ever attained. 

Before Natasha could sink further into her own dejected thoughts, Steve gently moved her away from the door, sitting her down on the small seat with rested at the end of the large bed. "We have to look after them" Natasha cried as she slowly pulled away, nervously wiping her eyes as she gazed at her boyfriend. "We have...we have to make sure they don't get hurt again" 

"We will" Steve guaranteed, "Let's get rid of those tears first" Laughing softly in agreement, Natasha nodded slowly as Stev reached forward, gently cupping her cheek as he wiped away her falling tears. "We'll find their dad and make sure he never hurts anyone ever again"

"They...they think we're going to abandon them, Steve" Natasha whimpered softly. "That we'll forget about them. I can't..."

"What is it?" 

"I was like that once" Natasha sobbed, "I was alone and hurt with no one looking after me. I dreed to think that they feel like that" Sighing tiredly, Natasha rested her head against Steve's shoulder. "Clint saved me from the Red Room and showed me that people cared. They don't have anyone like that" 

"They'll have us for the time being" Steve reassured the spy. 

"For the time being, Steve" Natasha cried, "After that, then what? We leave them" 

"No, but...what other choice do we have?" The soldier questioned, "Another family will love them, Nat. They'll be safe" 

"Another family? Another chance of them being hurt?" Natasha sighed. 

"...What do you want to do?" Steve asked softly, "What ideas are going about your head?" 

_ We look after them _ , Natasha's mind screamed, startling the young women. Looking back on her story, Natasha had never yearned for children, nor had she envisioned having someone by her side, until she joined the Avenger's and gained a partner in Steve Rogers. After meeting the super soldier and falling in love, Natasha found herself longing for the comfort of a child in the privacy of her own mind. Yet, despite all her longing, the wish for a child was in vain due to the Red Room and its torture. She had given up on the dream, happy that she had never told Steve of it, and continued her life with him as peaceful and content. 

However, the twin's sudden appearance within her life had, unexpectantly, changed her. Happiness filled her heart at the idea of the two twins being safe with them while rage coursed through her blood at the thought of someone once again hurting them. 

She barely knew them and yet, Natasha  _ loved _ them as if they were her own. 

"I...I don't know" Natasha sighed helplessly. "But the idea of them being hurt kills me, Steve. They are...so much like us" Pulling away, Natasha stared at the soldier before her, gently grabbing his hand and squeezing it softly. "Wanda...she is so brave and strong. She looks after Pietro so fiercely and she doesn't run away like..."

"Like you" Steve smiled. 

"Yea" Natasha nodded shyly, "And Pietro is so loving. He loves you so much because you help people and are a hero" 

"Kiddos have been through a lot" Steve sighed sadly. 

"And yet, he has the biggest capacity of love I've ever seen. He's like you, Steve. Pietro is so much like you it's uncanny" Gently squeezing Steve's hand, Natasha smiled gently as small tears lined her eyes once again. "And I know that no matter how brave they are or how strong...they wouldn't handle another situation like this" 

"I know" Steve nodded, "...What do we do?" 

"I was kind of hoping you would tell me" Natasha chuckled, "I'm new to this whole caring thing" 

"They are amazing" Steve nodded, "But what could we do?" 

"Foster them" Pepper smiled happily at the young couple, walking tentatively into the room as the two heroes smiled in greeting. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interpret" Natasha shook her head lightly, patting to the seat beside her as she moved closer to Steve. Taking Natasha's advice, Pepper moved to sit down on the small couch. 

"It's fine" Steve smiled, "If you can help, we'd appreciate it" 

"I just got off the phone with a social worker" Pepper explained, "He explained that we have two options. The first one is that someone comes and collects the twins tomorrow morning and they take them to an orphanage where they will wait for a foster family downtown" 

"How long will that take? The foster family, I mean" Steve clarified. 

"A while" Pepper sighed heavily, "The moment they're in the orphanage they are classed as having a home, even though most orphanages are unstaffed and in terrible condition. The social worker said that because of this and the fact that they're both five years old and come from abuse, they are less likely to be adopted. Most families want babies who have had a good start in life or who are easy to care for." 

"That would mean..." Natasha hesitated. 

"They'd most likely spend the rest of their childhood in an orphanage with no family" Pepper explained dejectedly. 

"And the other option? It can't be much worse" Natasha shook her head softly.

"The second option means that a social worker will come here tomorrow to assess the area and ask you to sign to be their foster parents temporarily" Pepper continued, "You would legally be in charge of the twins, making sure they go to school and get food and are safe while the social workers look for a permanent home" 

"We would foster them?" Steve questioned. 

"Yes" Pepper nodded, "I know it's short-notice and rushed but those are your options. The social worker needs to know your answer by ten O'Clock tonight" 

"We...we can't be foster parents" Natasha shook her head with worry, "I mean...it would be great but there are so many better people out there. I'd mess these kids up" 

"No, you wouldn't" Pepper reassured the spy, reaching forward to take her unused hand in her own as Natasha clutched Steve's hand tightly. "You would make a great mother, Nat. Never doubt that. Those adore you already if Steve was telling the truth and I suspect he was" 

"We can think it through" Steve promised, "But Nat...you said now much you were beginning to love them. I can see it in your eyes that you care about them" 

"Caring isn't enough" Natasha huffed, "These are children" 

"Nat, you have a family now" Pepper reassured her, "You both do" Glancing at Steve, Pepper smiled warmly. "I know we don't exactly show it and sometimes we're so busy we hardly spare the time to tell you but everyone on the team truly does love you both. We know what you went through -or at least, we know some of it- but even that can't stop you two" 

"But being foster parents..." Natasha whispered. 

"Will be one of the biggest decisions of our lives" Pepper agreed, "You two probably deserved so much time to think about it but sadly, you don't have a lot of time. So I suggest that you dress the kids in some warm pyjamas and take them downstairs for food with the whole team. They can't wait to meet them" 

"Really?" Steve asked with a small chuckle. 

"Tony's practically jumping with excitement and Clint is hanging off the walls. I had to stop him going in the vents" Pepper smiled, "They're some clothes in that bag by the door for the twins. We'll meet you downstairs?" 

"Yea" Natasha nodded, "Thank you, Pep" 

"Hey, no problem" The CEO grinned, standing to grab the large bag of clothes and pass them to Steve. "You two would make great parents. I have no doubt" 

"Thank you, Pepper" She nodded happily, exciting the room with a small sigh of happiness as Steve and Natasha glanced down at the generous bag of clothes. "Can we really be foster parents?" Natasha questioned quietly. 

"I don't know" Steve answered honestly, "All I know is that I've known those kids for an hour and I already want to keep them safe" 

"Same here" Natasha chuckled, "Say we do it...what happens if we get called to go on a mission? How will Fury react? The other Avenger's?" 

"You heard Pepper" Steve smiled, "The group will be happy whatever we choose. Nick adores you -he'd be happy for you, regardless of whether or not he showed it" Natasha nodded slowly in agreement. 

"And missions?" 

"One of us will stay here or if we can't, the group can look after them. We'll get daily updates" Steve suggested, "Everything will be fine, Nat" 

"Are we ready?" Natasha questioned, "I know...I know that you've always wanted to be a father" Shaking his head softly, Steve reached forward and gently grabbed Natasha's hand in his own. "No, let me finish" Natasha chuckled slowly, "I know that when you meet me you had pretty much given up on the dream and when we started dating...there was no way we could ever make a child" 

"I don't care about stuff like that, Nat. As long as I have you" Steve promised, "I love you. You know that, right?" 

"I know" Natasha smiled, "I love you too but what if..." 

"What if those kids are our chance?" Steve guessed. 

"Yea" She nodded, "I can't shake the feeling that they need us just as much as we need them. What if we don't take this chance and...I don't know, the universe hates us for missing our chance?" Natasha questioned. 

"Come here" Smiling softly, Natasha moved forward, wrapping her arms around the soldier's waist as she placed her head on his shoulder, snuggling further into his tight embrace as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder, pulling her closer. "Even if this was our chance, I doubt the universe will hate us" Chuckerling softly, Steve leant down and pressed a soft kiss against Natasha's forehead. 

"You don't know" She shook her head slowly, "I've ignored the universe for a long time. I could get fed up with me" 

"With you? Never" Steve smiled, "Why don't we take this afternoon with them and see how it goes? Then we'll decide, tell the group and have Pepper make the plans" 

"Sounds great" Natasha nodded with a loud sigh, falling deeper into Steve's embrace. 

"Miss?" Natasha smiled tiredly as she turned towards the doorway of the bathroom, watching as Pietro, covered comfortably in a fluffy towel wrapped over his shoulders, waddled into the room nervously. The spy chuckled softly at the young boy's spiked hair, moving along the small sofa to supply enough space for Pietro to sit between the two adults. Steve shrugged to Natasha as Pietro sat down, eyes sparkling with content and the promise for the continuation of their conversation later. 

"What's up, kiddo?" Natasha smiled, leaning forward to gently flatten the boy's jagged hair.

"We finished our baths" Pietro grinned victoriously, "What do we do now?" 

"Now is the best part" Natasha grinned, "You get to decide the pyjamas you wear" Gesturing slowly to the bag beside Steve, the couple watched happily as Pietro's eyes widened comically. "Is Wanda still in the bathroom?" 

"Yea. She wanted to stay in there while I asked what we happening" Pietro explained, "She says she needs something to wear" 

"Why don't you pick something for her then?" Steve suggested, "That way you two can get dressed and we can go downstairs. The team would like to have a movie night if that's alright?" Pietro nodded happily, an eager smile on his lips. 

"So, what colours are we thinking?" Steve questioned, pulling the bag of clothes closer to the small boy, watching with a happy smile as Pietro's eyes lit up. "Red? Blue? Green?" He listed, puling the outfits out of the bag and placing them neatly on his knee as Pietro adorably shook his head.

"Silver" Pietro exclaimed, reaching forward to grab a pair of plain silver pyjamas decorated with a checkerboard design. Steve laughed quietly at the boy's enthusiasm, carefully putting the removed pyjamas back into the bag while Pietro unfolded his chosen set. 

"Can you..." Steve turned around quickly, watching with ill-contained happiness as Pietro tried to put on the top, having already succeeded with the bottoms when Steve was turned around. Having already gotten one arm through the hole, Pietro twisted his body sharpy to locate the other arm, squirming unnaturally in his seat with narrowed eyes. 

"Here, bud. Let me help" As Natasha helped the young boy, Steve couldn't help but wondered how much his life would change if he became a father. His father was less than amiable -a wartime hero turned abusive drunk- and Steve vowed that he would never become  _ him _ . He would be better, he would treat his children with love and respect and want nothing more than for them to be happy. Throughout his life, the idea of being a father had wavered like a small candle in a drafty room, relenting in its presence. 

_ He couldn't be a father _ . Steve knew that the Super Soldier Serum had all but denied his chances of having a child and his life as an Avenger constantly put him in harm. 

Being a father would change his life. His career as an Avenger would change drastically as his need to protect his family grew. He'd have to help Natasha, understanding how difficult she would take the shift but the soldier truly believed that the spy would be okay. 

Glancing to the young boy beside him, Steve smiled softly as Pietro gently ran his fingers through his hair, staring once more into the large bag of clothes as he tried to find an outfit for his sister. 

"How about yellow?" Natasha suggested, watching with amusement as Pietro wrinkled his nose in disgust. 

"Wanda doesn't like yellow" Pietro explained. 

"So, what colour does she like?" Steve asked curiously. 

"Red" Pietro smiled, "She likes red and black" 

"So, no pink with ponies?" Steve teased, picking up a pair of brightly coloured pyjamas. 

"No" Pietro laughed happily. "Those" He pointed towards a set of pyjamas. Matching Pietro's, the red and black lines crossed perfectly across the silk fabric, designed into a pair of long bottoms and a long-sleeved collared shirt. 

"Wanda hates pink" Pietro smiled, "And she really hates ponies" 

"Thanks for telling us" Natasha praised the small boy, "Now we know for next time" Pietro nodded brightly at the spies words. "Why don't you take those to your sister?" The young boy nodded in agreement, hopping from his seat before sheepishly handing his towel to Natasha. "I'll take that" Beaming excitably, Pietro rushed back into the bathroom to help his sister, passing her the pyjamas with a delighted expression. 

"Do you know if the group ordered food?" Natasha questioned as she stood, walking over to the large basket of dirty clothes resting in the corner of Steve's room. "I don't think the kids have eaten today and I really don't want them to wait" 

"When I came up, Tony said he was ordering pizza" Steve smiled, watching as the spy put away the dirty towel. "Not the healthiest option but I think the kids will like it" 

"There is so much we need to know, Steve" She sighed, "Allergies, likes and dislikes, favourite things, hobbies, level of education" Natasha listed, stress clinging to her voice. "We need to know everything before we can even begin to do anything-" 

"Hey, calm down" Standing from his seat, Steve moved to stand behind Natasha, comfortably wrapping his arms around the spies waist. "If we go through with this, Tony will get all those pieces of information from the social worker. If not, he can do the tests. They won't be hurt" 

"Okay," Natasha sighed heavily, nodding her head in agreement. "You're right. I'm freaking out over nothing" She turned around in Steve's arms, "Everything will be fine and you love me. What in the world could go wrong?" 

"Nothing" He guaranteed the red-haired women, "Everything's going to be great" 

"Miss Widow! Mr America!" Turning around, Natasha's lips broke out into a happy grin at the sight of the two children, stood nervously in their pyjamas. Wanda's hair was still wet from the shower, tied perfectly into a ponytail -Natasha knew she had left spare hair ties on the counter of the bathroom- and Pietro's hair was no longer spiked, instead it was now resting perfectly on his head in small waves. 

"All ready" Steve grinned as he pulled away from Natasha, "You two look amazing" Wanda blushed bashfully as Pietro beamed, made happy by the praise. "Ready to meet the group?" 

"Can I..." Wanda began nervously, staring pointedly at her toes as Natasha moved forward and kneeled in front of her. The young girl leant forward, apprehensively whispering into the spies ear as Natasha nodded eagerly. 

Wanda knew that Natasha and Steve were unlikely to keep her and her brother.  _ They were busy _ , she supposed  _ and too occupied to take care of two children.  _ She could not deny, however, that the couple had been good to her and her brother and that she had unexpectedly, developed a familiar love for the couple, despite the short time of knowing them. Natasha was her favourite -mainly because she was familiar with the women from previous news stories- but Steve was patient and kind and so unlike her adoptive father.  _ She wouldn't get attached _ , Wanda promised herself,  _ but they were too nice to fully ignore _ . 

"Of course" She smiled, standing up and extending her arms out towards the young girl. Her sudden nervousness melted away as Wanda bolted into the red-heads awaiting embrace, laughing quietly as Natasha picked her up and placed her perfectly on her hip, supporting the young girl's weight effortlessly as Wanda wrapped her legs around the women's torso. 

"Happy?" Natasha whispered to the young girl, smiling warmly as Wanda nodded hesitantly and rested her head against the other women's shoulder. "What's wrong, Wanda? " 

"Nothing" She shook her head, too scared to tell the older women that she was  _ scared _ . Wanda hated meeting new people -she silently envied her brother in that regard; his overall joyful view on the world allowed him to trust people easily, despite their past- but the young girl was too unyielding to acknowledge her fear. 

"Okay, you don't have to tell me" Natasha reassured the youthful girl, smiling softly as Wanda sighed in relief. "But know that you don't have to do anything you don't want to. If you don't want to meet the group, you tell me or Steve and we'll sort it out, okay?" Watching as Wanda nodded silently, Natasha smiled warmly, leaning forward to press a sweet kiss onto the young girl's forehead. "You'll be fine" 

"Okay," Wanda nodded, snuggling further into Natasha's hold. 

"Pietro?" Steve inquired, watching as the boy turned to him seriously. 

"Can I meet Iron Man?" He questioned innocently, staring up at the hero as he took Steve's hand, happy to walk, unlike his sister. 

"As long as you stay on my team" Steve teased, "You're still on Captian America's team, right?" 

"Yea!" Pietro agreed excitably as they began to walk out of the room, "But I can still meet Iron Man?" 

"Of course, возлюбленная" Natasha smiled, walking down the large stairs of the Tower. "I'm sure he's very excited to meet you as well" 

"Me?" Pietro breathed tentatively. 

"Of course" Steve smiled, "And who do you want to meet Wanda?" 

"I don't know" She mumbled curiously, "I like Thor. He has a big hammer and hits the bad guys" 

"Yes he does" Natasha nodded thoughtfully, "But sadly, Thor had to go home for a little bit. Maybe you'll meet him later on" The spy turned towards her boyfriend, a hesitant smile on her lips as Steve nodded in agreement. "But I guess you'll have to make do with me and Steve today. Is that okay?" 

"Yea" Wanda nodded eagerly, "Black Window's my favourite. Sorry Mr Rogers" 

"No worry kid" Steve nodded, gazing proudly at his girlfriend. "Black Widow's my favourite too" 

"Really?" Pietro questioned curiously. 

"Really" Natasha blushed softly as they reached the bottom of the stairs, ignoring the sudden silence echoing from the kitchen in favour of standing in the centre of the room. "She's saved me a lot. Couldn't be here without her" 

"That's so cool, Mr Rogers" Pietro praised quietly as Natasha knelt against the wooden floor of the large living room, holding Wanda in her arms as she smiled happily at Pietro, fully knowing that her teammates could hear her and Steve. 

"Hey, you don't need to call us Mr or Miss anything okay? Just Steve and Nat" Natasha smiled, watching as the two children nodded happily. "Now, why don't you two go with Steve and pick out a movie? I need to talk to the group and then we'll introduce everyone, okay?" 

"Okay" The twins nodded, stepping forward to grab one of Steve's hand as Wanda untangled herself from Natasha's hold, grasping the soldiers hand tightly in her own as they walked towards the sofa. Standing up swiftly, wiping the imaginary dirt from her leggings, Natasha moved towards the kitchen with a tired smile, leaning against the island as she greeted her teammates. 

"You okay, Nat?" Tony asked from opposite it, stood beside Pepper as the CEO held his hand. Bruce stood beside the couple silently, a warm cup of coffee in his hands as Sam Wilson, a new member of the team, leant against the table opposite him. Clint stood the other side of Natasha, grasping the spy's hand on top of the counter as she sighed heavily. 

"Tony, have you got any information on the twins?" Natasha questioned. 

"Nat-" Clint began. 

"Tony, the twins" She sighed, "What do you know?" 

"Jarvis, bring up the records" Tony ordered, watching as virtual certificates placed themselves on the counter, filled with inadequate information and faded photographs of the twins. "This is everything the government knows about Wanda and Pietro Maximoff" 

"Alright" Natasha nodded, "Tony can you sum it up, I'll go over it later" 

"Their biological parents were Magda Eisenhardt and Max Eisenhardt. Max worked as an electrician until an accident killed him four years ago. Magda died in a car crash two and a half years later, leaving the twins alone at the age of three and a half" Tony explained sadly. 

"Eisenhardt?" Natasha questioned, "Where were they from originally?" 

"Both Magda and Max were second-generation immigrants to the USA. Max was from Poland. Magda was Romanian" Tony replied, "They lived in the downside of New York all their life, meet and had kids. The usual story" 

"Okay, what part of this leads to them going into an abusive home?" Natasha snapped quietly. "Surely, that's not how the system works?"

"Django Maximoff was contacted to foster them" Pepper continued, "He took in the children when Magda died and as far as we can tell, he became abusive when shortly after their fostering, his wife left with their children. They also probably left due to abuse." 

"Why?" The spy questioned, "Why him?" 

"We don't know" Tony shook his head, "We have very little detail on these twins. He changed their name shortly after fostering them though. Seems like he was trying to replace his own kids" 

"Bruce, what about their health? Please tell me you know something?" 

"Um..." Bruce hesitated quietly as he placed his cup on the island. "So far nothing out of the normal. Social workers reported each kid being shy when separated from one another and wearing bigger clothes but nothing majorly concerning" Natasha nodded thankfully, "No allergies stated or anything like that though" 

"That's...that's good" Natasha nodded. 

"Nat, talk to us. What are you and Steve thinking?" Clint asked delicately. 

"...I don't know" Natasha shook her head with a humourless laugh. "We're going to talk later about it all; hopefully, when the twins are asleep" The team nodded understandingly, "We'll have to talk to them at some point though" 

"What are you thinking?" Tony questioned curiously. "Forget about Captain Capsicle for a moment" 

"I can't forget about him, Tony" Natasha sighed, "He's my boyfriend. He should be just as involved in this decision as I am" 

"What do you want to do?" Sam questioned from beside her. 

"I want them safe" Natasha replied instantly, uncaring to the shocked expression of her teammates. "I don't know why but I took one look at them and remembered..." Turning to Clint, she grabbed his hand tightly. "They remind me of myself when I was younger" The group nodded solemnly. 

"They seem like great kids" Clint smiled reassuringly. 

"...How...What do you guys think?" Natasha asked slowly, glancing at her teammates. "If we were to foster them for a while, what do you think?" 

"They'd be spoilt" Tony warned the spy jokingly, "They'd have everything they wanted, personally made by me too" 

"I know" Natasha smiled, "And I appreciate it" 

"They would be safe" Bruce grinned, "You wouldn't have to worry about that" 

"I know" Natasha repeated, "But what about everything else? Tony, if they stay with us, they'll need a room and so many new things. Our whole schedule will change" She explained, turning to Pepper, "No more missions for myself or Steve, no more galas for a while. It'll all change" 

"I wouldn't worry, Nat" Pepper smiled, "I certainly wouldn't let that stop me. If this does happen, we'll make it work. You shouldn't worry about change, it's sometimes a good thing" 

"Um, Nat" Tony smiled nervously at the spy, staring pointedly at something behind her. "You've got company" Natasha smiled happily, turning around swiftly to see Wanda stood before her, a nervous smile once again playing on the young girl's lips. The spy reached forward, lifting the five-year-old from under her arms and settling her comfortably on her hip, grinning triumphantly as Wanda snuggled into her hold. 

"What's wrong, Wanda?" Natasha questioned, "I thought Steve was looking after you" 

"Yea" Wanda nodded against the spy's shoulder. "Pietro's with Steve" 

"Okay then" Natasha sighed, understanding that the young girl was still apprehensive of the super-soldier. "Want to meet the group? If not we can go over the Pietro and Steve together" 

"Okay," Wanda smiled as Natasha turned around to face her teammates, pointedly ignoring the soft expressions on their faces in favour of gazing happily at the young girl perched on her hip. 

"Wanda, this is everyone" Natasha introduced her team members individually, watching as Wanda's eyes widened at the superheroes before her. "Everyone this is Wanda" The group nodded slowly, fear slowly rising within their eyes at the idea of interacting with the young girl. 

"Hello" Wanda greeted apprehensively, "They're your friends?" Wanda questioned, gazing at Natasha curiously. 

"Yea" The spy nodded, "They're more like my family" 

"Hey, Wanda" Clint smiled beside the young girl. "I'm Nat's best friend" 

"Hi" Wanda beamed, "You help Nat?" 

"They all do" Natasha nodded happily, "Clint is my best friend. Bruce-" She gestured towards the scientist who waved nervously, "-He helps me not get sick and Tony-" The aforementioned genius tipped his imaginary hat towards the giggling child, "-He builds silly toys for us to protect ourselves with" 

"You build toys?" Wanda questioned curiously. 

"Not the usual toys" Tony smirked, "But yea" He nodded. 

"How are you feeling, Wanda?" Pepper asked, grabbing the girls attention with a caring smile. 

"Good, thank you, Miss..." Wanda trailed off nervously. 

"My names Pepper" The CEO introduced herself, "But you and your brother can call me Pep for as long as you want" 

"Thank you Pep" Wanda smiled. 

"I think Pepper has a new favourite" Sam teased the hero opposite him, "Poor Tony" 

"Leave him alone, Sam" Natasha smiled, "Of course Wanda's her favourite" The young girl grinned innocently at the praise. 

"Hasn't been here a full day and we all love her" Tony muttered quietly to his girlfriend as Natasha busied herself with the rest of the group. "You think they'll figure it all out in time?" 

"I do" Pepper nodded, "They love those children more than anything else in the world; they may not have known them long but they trust one another" 

"They'll truly do it?" Tony continued to question, "Master Assassin and Super Soldier fostering two kids. Who would have thought?" 


End file.
